Eric Idle

Born: March 29 1943
Where: South Shields, Tyne & Wear, UK

One-sixth of the comic genius of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Idle was the long-faced, slimeball who immortalized "nudge-nudge wink-wink" as a catchphrase of its time.

Originally from the Tyneside (his RAF pilot father died in a road crash when he was two), he went to private school in Wolverhampton.

He met future Python mates John Cleese and Graham Chapman at Cambridge where the three were members of the prestigious Footlights comedy troupe (for which he eventually served as president).

Their paths crossed those of Terry Jones and Michael Palin when they were all contributing writers to the British TV series The Frost Report.

Idle subsequently collaborated with Chapman as well as Palin and Jones before co-founding the celebrated Python comedy troupe with American animation specialist Terry Gilliam.

Lauded by critics and embraced by the public, the irreverent and often surreal humor of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" aired on BBC1 from 1969-70 and 1972-74 and on BBC-2 without Cleese (under the title of "Monty Python") for the last few months of 1974.

The first picture, And Now for Something Completely Different, was just a series of television vignettes released for cinema.

Idle's roles in Monty Python and the Holy Grail included Brave Sir Robin (who bravely turned his tail and fled) and one of the dreaded knights who said "Nit".

In Monty Python's Life of Brian he memorably played Stan Called Loretta, a confused member of the Peoples' Front of Judea, and philosophically sang Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (which he also wrote) while being crucified.

When they were unable to acquire backing for the blasphemously perceived "Brian", George Harrison saved the day with financing and provided a very Liverpudlian touch in his brief cameo.

After Python went off the air in England, Idle wrote and starred in Rutland Weekend Television out of which gestated the brilliant Beatles spoof All You Need Is Cash featuring The Rutles.

Neil Innes to come up with the music, which included such gems as All You Need Is Lunch and W.C. Fields Forever.

Idle published his first novel - Hello Sailor - saw his first stage play produced - Pass the Butler and also wrote and directed The Frog Prince", the starring Robin Williams.

After participating in two more Python movies (reverting to sketch format), Idle appeared as the accident-prone bike rider in National Lampoon's European Vacation.

He also played the fastest man on earth in Gilliam's lavish commercial flop The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

In 1990, he took to the habit with Robbie Coltrane as Nuns on the Run and executive produced, wrote, and starred in Splitting Heirs, a mistaken identity comedy reuniting him with Cleese.

Terry Jones' live-action The Wind in the Willows was much better, creatively reteaming Python's four surviving Brits (Graham Chapman having died in 1989).

Idle contributed to three 1998 animated features - The Quest for Camelot, The Secret of NIHM II: Timmy to the Rescue and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie.

Recent roles have been confined to cameos such as Hollywood Homicide and voice work, including Roberto Benigni's Pinnochio.